Determination of sulfonamide residues in the tissues of food animals using automated precolumn derivatization and liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A liquid chromatographic method for the determination of sulfachloropyridazine, sulfadiazine, sulfadimethoxine, sulfadoxine, sulfaethoxypyridazine, sulfamethazine, sulfaquinoxaline, and sulfathiazole residues in the muscle, liver, and kidney of food animals using sulfapyridine as internal standard is reported. Tissues are extracted using a modified version of AOAC Official Method 983.31 (Sulfonamide Residues in Animal Tissues). The sample extract is reconstituted in pH 3.0 buffer-acetonitrile (60 + 40) and filtered into an autosampler vial. Using a programmable autosampler of a liquid chromatograph, a portion of the sample is derivatized precolumn with fluorescamine. The sulfonamide derivatives are separated by liquid chromatography using a C18 column with a mobile phase of 0.02M phosphoric acid-acetonitrile (60.5 + 39.5) and detected by fluorescence (excitation, 405 nm; emission, 495 nm). The method was applied to swine and cattle muscle, liver, and kidney; sheep and horse muscle and kidney; and chicken muscle and liver. The mean values for samples fortified with sulfonamides at levels between 0.05 and 0.2 microg/g agreed within 96-99% of spiked levels, with coefficients of variation ranging from 4-10%. The limit of detection (LOD) for all sulfonamides was 0.01 microg/g, with the exception of sulfaquinoxaline, for which the LOD was 0.015 microg/g.     

The GC-MS detection and characterization of neopine resulting from opium use and codeine metabolism and its potential as an opiate-product-use marker

Neopine, a minor opium alkaloid and an isomer of codeine (also known as -codeine), has been detected in both the urine of opium users and pharmaceutical codeine users. The characterization of neopine was achieved by comparison of the mass spectra and GC retention times of the trimethylsilyl derivative. The presence of neopine in the urine of pharmaceutical codeine users was attributed to the metabolism of codeine through a double bond migration in ring C, from the 7–8 to the 8–14 position. The potential use of the alkaloid as a confirmation marker of opium and/or pharmaceutical codeine use and the ability to differentiate these from heroin use has been discussed.     

Basis set dependence of localized orbitals

The effects of Gaussian basis set contraction and addition of polarization functions on H₂O localized orbitals have been studied at the experimental geometry. It is shown that the electric moments and moment features of localized orbitals are not influenced very much by basis set quality variations, as going from medium size to enlarged basis sets. The difference between bond pair and lone pair charge densities was found to be larger on approaching the Hartree-Fock limit. A minimal basis set, however, does not suitably characterize the localized charge distributions.     

Electron impact ionization in helium nanodroplets: controlling fragmentation by active cooling of molecular ions

Reported here is a study of the effects of liquid helium cooling on the fragmentation of ions formed by electron impact mass ionization. The molecules of interest are picked up by the helium nanodroplets as they pass through a low pressure oven. Electron impact ionization of a helium atom in the droplet is followed by resonant charge transfer to neighboring helium atoms. When the charge is transferred to the target molecule, the difference in the ionization potentials between helium and the molecule results in the formation of a vibrationally hot ion. In isolation, the hot parent ion would undergo subsequent fragmentation. On the other hand, if the cooling due to the helium is fast enough, the parent ion will be actively cooled before fragmentation occurs. The target molecule used in the present study is triphenylmethanol (TPM), an important species in synthetic chemistry, used to sterically protect hydroxyl groups. Threshold PhotoElectron PhotoIon COincidence (TPEPICO) experiments are also reported for gas-phase TPM to help quantify the ion energetics resulting from the cooling effects of the helium droplets.     

The design and synthesis of a family of multimolecular host-guest inclusion complexes

The discovery thatexo-2,exo-6-dihydroxy-2,6-dimethylbicyclo [3.3.1]nonane (2) forms novel multimolecular canal-type inclusion complexes has led to a systematic study of related molecular structures. This synthetic programme has shown that diol (2) is the prototype of a family of host diols all with the same crystallographic space groupP3₁21, but with distinctly different canal shapes and dimensions. The structures of the first four members of this new family of hosts are described and contrasted.     

Applications of the zeeman effect to analytical atomic spectroscopy-VI A comparison of some experimental and theoretical detection limits

Design details are given for a high-sensitivity Zeeman-modulated spectrometer using commercial hollow-cathode lamp sources. Experimental detection limits are given for 6 elements, and the values compared with theoretical values calculated on the basis of signals limited only by photon noise. Some conclusions are drawn regarding the sensitivity limits accessible to atomic-absorption spectroscopy with present technology.